[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Saturday, 20 June 1998 Volume 03 : Number 188 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Jean Eger" Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 09:27:55 -0700 Subject: [Baren 957] Re: pigment Dear Bareners, A memorable and laughable incident occurred during my search for a usable pigment that cost less than tube watercolors. I I tried mixing Procion dyes with water and gum arabic. One color (I forget which one) had a violent reaction to the gum arabic and clumped together into a lumpy ball. (Procion dyes are sometimes used in papermaking.) Sincerely, Jean Eger ------------------------------ From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie) Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 21:28:20 -0400 Subject: [Baren 958] Mexican woodcuts Baren-wielding brothers and sisters, Last night I found a website selling small woodcuts by Fernando Ramirez Osorio circa 1954. The prints are quite lovely and lively, seemingly depicting the clash of conquistadors with the native populance of Mexico. I have dibs on print number "003pr0111f"... so back off! They are worth a look: http://www.the-forum/art/osorio.htm Bain sult uaidh,* James Mundie, Philadelphia USA *("Strike pleasure from them.") ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 12:04:34 +0900 Subject: [Baren 959] Re: pigment Jean wrote: > One color (I forget which one) had a violent > reaction to the gum arabic and clumped together into a lumpy ball. Was it carmine? I've noticed similar things with the colour known here as 'yoko' or 'hon yoko'. This is a deep carmine red, not one of the 'native' Japanese colours, but one imported from the west starting about a hundred years ago or so. It doesn't dissolve well in water, so it must be soaked for a while in alcohol first, before diluting with water to taste. If one then adds gum arabic to give it some body _before_ the residual alcohol has evaporated, it suddenly clumps together into lumps and 'strings'. I have no knowledge of the chemistry here ... no idea at all why this happens. But it is avoidable - if you wait until all the alcohol is gone, it blends fine ... Dave B. ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 21:48:27 -0700 Subject: [Baren 960] Re: Pigments Matt wrote >It would seem the colors from the Canadian Mike Turner place might be a > very similar product to the Guerra pigments: "water dispersed" >(do they come in handy little plastic squeeze bottles?) No because in most cases the pigment is so condensed and thick it would not squeeze out. This may be the reason for the prices as they are so pure. See my request below. >Guerra prices ranged between $ 2.25 and >$ 7 for the 2 oz bottles. Ray Wrote >The difference in price between Turner and Guerra seems awlfully huge. >Jim's post only listed some similiar color, burnt sienna. But at $2.25 for >Guerra and $8.50 for Turner, even the favorable exchange rates do not make >up for the difference. Any thoughts? Yes, even with the exchange the Turner's burnt sienna would come in at about $5.00 Not a bargin. The only possible answer is that I know Turner's is pure pigment and not diluted with fillers. If one of you guys could send me a wee smidge in a plastic film holder of say two colours...Ultramarine blue and Burnt Sienna I will them compare to see if we are talking apples and oranges. Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 21:50:28 -0700 Subject: [Baren 961] Re: Stats, etc. Dave wrote >Is that lighthouse (lightpole?) new? I've been through Active Pass a >million times, but don't remember seeing that there ... It has been there for 11 years...and how long before that I am not sure. You may be confusing it with another light that use to be on the right hand side as you enter the pass from Tswassan It is shorter and very old. It is not operative and has not be so for 15 years. >How many have you got left to do in your series? 10 more to go. The 25 I have done have not all been posted on the net. I have the Northern lights to finish off the series. I figure Dec 1999 for completion date Graham If a librarian is late is she overdue? ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 23:58:15 -0400 Subject: [Baren 962] Re: Mexican woodcuts Jim wrote: >Baren-weilding brothers and sisters, >I have dibs on print number "003pr0111f"... so back off! WELL - rotsy, ta, ta, ta.... :>) >http://www.the-forum/art/osorio.htm This did not work. Suggestions? Cheers Ray Esposito ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 14:06:07 +0900 Subject: [Baren 963] Re: Mexican woodcuts > >http://www.the-forum/art/osorio.htm > This did not work. Suggestions? Use http://www.the-forum.com/art/osorio.htm That should do it ... Dave ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 18:42:29 +0900 Subject: [Baren 964] One-point lesson ... Here is this week's 'One-point' lesson (a 'tip' from carver Mr. Susumu Ito, passed on here by David Bull) ********** ********** ********** (#10) Sharpening narrow chisels Carving a traditional Japanese print involves quite a lot of 'picky' delicate work, and many of the tools used are very small indeed. Store-bought 'aisuki' blades go down to about 0.5mm in width, but every carver also has a supply of smaller chisels that he has made himself. Sharpening these tiny chisels can be difficult ... Each of the chisels and knives has two 'faces' that must be sharpened - the bevelled face, which may be curved (as in the 'aisuki' chisels) or flat (as in the carving knife itself), and then the back side, which must always be absolutely flat. In the case of large, wide chisels, keeping this back surface flat is not difficult, as the fingers can press the chisel down flat while rubbing the tool on the sharpening stone, but there is no room for the fingers to do this in the case of tiny and narrow chisels. It is all too easy to end up with a rounded surface, and a chisel sharpened that way will be difficult to use. Experienced carver Mr. Susumu Ito was having a look at my chisels one day, and seeing that I must have been having trouble with this, showed me a little 'trick' for keeping the back flat. It involves using a small strip of wood (usually cut from the block currently being carved). Use a 'maru-nomi' (a shallow 'U' shaped chisel) and scoop out a piece about 3 cm long and 1 cm wide - cutting along the grain, not across it. Place this strip crossways on the _top_ surface of the narrow chisel blade (the side with the bevel), and hold it there with a finger. Now place the flat surface of the blade against the sharpening stone. The strip of wood will extend out to either side of the blade, acting like a pair of canoe 'outriggers' to stop the blade from rocking as you rub the tool over the stone. The back surface of the chisel should thus come out completely flat. This little trick works very well indeed, and I am grateful to Ito-san for passing it on to me. I'm sure he knows a million more ... (Note: the copy of this 'one-point' lesson that is stored in the Encyclopedia includes photographs illustrating the technique ...) ********** ********** ********** Next week, 'The printmaking supplies that I borrow from my 15 year-old daughter ...' These 'One-point' lessons are being collected into a section in the [Baren] Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking. http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/updates.html Contributions from experienced printmakers for future 'One-pointers' are eagerly solicited. ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 08:20:41 -0400 Subject: [Baren 965] Re: Mexican woodcuts Ray, I had the same problem, the address didn't work. However just go to Yahoo search, punch in Osorio, and it'll come up with the Woodblock page and other Osorio listings. Just select the woodblock page, and viola, you're in. Gary ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V3 #188 *************************** Viola?